Letters in Canada: 1943

LETTERS IN CANADA~ 1943 Edited by A. S. P. WooDHOUSE THIS year, as sometimes in the past, we have found it necessary to divide the survey, presenting English-Canadian Letters in the April issue, and reserving the French- and New-Canadian sections till July. As a result of the war, Canadian drama, save that written for the radio, has virtually disappeared. Accordingly, Mr Milne's annual essay has been suspended, probably for the duration; but. he has supplied us with a brief note for inclusion in Remaining Material. Since the appearance of "Letters in Canada: 1942," death has taken a heavy toll among leading figures in Canadian literature: Sir Robert Falconer, who was a constant friend and frequent contributor to the QuARTERLY, Sir Charles G. D. Roberts, who appeared in its first issue, Mr John W. Dafoe, the dean of Canadian journalists, also· a contributor, and Mr Frederick Niven and Mr Stephen Leacock, whose work has been reviewed year by year since this survey commenced. On Sir Charles Roberts, a review article by Professor Pelham Edgar recently appeared in the· QuARTERLY (October, 1943), and on Sir Robert Falconer, a set of articles, "In Memoriam Sir Robert Alexander Falconer, K.C.M.G." (January, 1944), to both of which we refer the reader. As usual our grateful acknowledgments are due to the University Library and the Toronto Public Libraries for aid cordially gtven. PART I. ENGLISH-CANADIAN LETTERS I. POETRY .E. K. BROWN Since these surveys began in 1936 I have counted as fat years those which brought ~ew works by E. J. Pratt, and as lean those in which he was silent. It was to be feared that 1943 would be among the lean years; but in its last month came Still Life and Other l/erse, a little collection of fifteen lyrics and brief narratives. Mr Pratt has never been happier as a lyrist than he is in two, at least, of the poems in this latest collection, "Come Away, Death" and ((The Invaded Field," the pieces by which he chose to be. 306 ...